My name is Lee Borrett and I am a serious collector of antique clocks. I have recently become excited to find that a clock that I have just bought spent most of its life in the Dining Hall of Christ's Hospital School located at Hertford.

The clock, along with its historical content is now fully illustrated on my website. Please copy and paste the link below to view

http://www.earlyclocks.com/brock-wall-clock-copy/4581438872

My research is on-going and I am hoping to add more information and pictures to my website in the hope of doing this wonderful and very special clock justice. I would be extremely interested to hear of/see any historical photos which show the clock in situ, along with any information that you may have on the clock.

Thank you in anticipation

With Best Wishes

Lee Borrett

Last edited by oggo on Thu Dec 12, 2013 3:33 am, edited 3 times in total.

I have just read your piece about the clock, and found it absolutely fascinating. I'm afraid that, probably like most others educated at Hertford, I took most of our surroundings for granted and have no real memory of the clock, just that it was there!

I do remember the clockman coming once a week to wind the clocks, he would walk round the school with his step ladder. He also came the night before the clocks changed, to move the hands. I presume it was a contract with the jewellers in town.

Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!

I have a photograph (currently not in digital format) of the clock in situ in the Hertford Dining room, above the round portrait of Edward VI, which is between the portraits of Charles II and? a lady whose identity I cannot remember. I am seeing another OB 'girl' tomorrow and will ask if she knows. I will try to digitise this photo and will e-mail to you if I can remember how.

It's nice to know that one of the antiques that littered the Hertford School and went largely unappreciated by us lot ( well, by me anyway ! ) has found such a loving and caring home.

"Time" was carefully measured out at Hertford. Everything had its time and was normally on time. The days passed by in endless and entirely predictable cycles,so neatly that they could have been filed and boxed away; and every box the same. The unchanging sameness could be very depressing. I suppose that clock had looked down on all of us, including the the young Edwardian boys in the early photograph ( where were the girls in that pic ? No doubt they dined separately and, at that time there were far fewer of them ).

Although there were "three" Christ's Hospitals ( Hertford,London and Horsham ) they were one and the same foundation, the Head Office ( now closed) having been in Great Tower Street in the City of London. As far as I remember , the Willcox Prize was still being awarded when I was at the school.

Best wishes to you and I hope you continue to enjoy your clock.

Btw much of the Hertford School is still intact although obviously used for other purposes. The Dining Hall was converted into apartments and the staircase preserved.

When the school closed in 1985 and the girls moved to Horsham , I understand that there was an auction of furniture and effects which ex-pupils were invited to attend....whether the clock was sold then I have no idea.

Thank you so much for kind comments and for sharing with me some of your memories of the clock and surroundings Hertford.

I have recently seen a very interesting Edwardian photograph of the Dining Hall dated to 1906 that show girls only (all very smartly dressed) and the ladies/teachers with their distinctive Edwardian and elegant/slim dresses. I am hoping to add the photo to my website shorltly.

Yes the clock may have been sold at the time of the auction - but I do not think it was listed in the catalogue.

Over the years there have been four sites that I am aware of. London was the original one but two other schools were set up originally for the younger pupils, mixed male and female. (My daughter has half-inched my book so I don't remember where the other was.) London, at that time was for older boys though from one example I suspect girls were also accomodated there. That example was of an older woman who had left, entered into service but was brought back into the fold when in her twenties.

Originally the whole school was on the London site, thus CH was the oldest co-educational boarding school in the country; possibly the world. I think that the Hertford school was set up in 1680, though after the Great Fire boys were lodged out in Ware, Hertford and Hoddesdon was also used at one stage. The junior boys stayed at Hertford until 1902. All the girls were removed to Hertford in 1774. It is not clear if any girls were with the younger boys before that date. I hope some one will post the answer here.